Flash end of life

[molecule]

Hello and happy new year 21…

How to setup a new PC after the FlashEOL and still make it work with Flash templates? Can you share, what you know?

that’s a good question; =) I don’t know what will happen if we prepare a new machine at the end of 2021 for example …

I’m only talking about Windows 10 and 64-bit ActiveX (for CasparServer 2.3.1) here

there is no Adobe ActiveX Flash installer for Windows 10 because it is installed natively with Windows 10 (and updated via Windows Update)

that’s why I did some tests with regserv and the ocx file
wiljan.hobbelink and Jurek talk about it here

the easiest way is to grab the Flash.ocx file on another Windows 10 machine (in C:\Windows\System32\Macromed\Flash), the most recent version I found is 32.0.0.445.

I rename it to Flash64bits_32.0.0.445.ocx because you can find different versions (depending on the last Windows update performed). You don’t need to rename it if you don’t want to.

I copy it to the C:\Windows\System32\Macromed\Flash folder:

you have to open a DOS console in administrator mode and do:

regsvr32.exe "C:\Windows\System32\Macromed\Flash\Flash64bits_32.0.0.445.ocx"

we can check in the registry (do a search on D27CDB6B-AE6D-11CF-96B8-444553540000)

by continuing the tests, I cannot re-register an older activeX (like 32.0.0.255), it looks like it only registers the most recent ones in the registry.
but that’s okay, since it’s better to have the latest version !

i have the Adobe Flash Player ActiveX version 32.0.0.445 (64 bits),
but what is the best way to make it available on the forum?

I would do tests later for the 32bits version and Caspar 2.0.7.1

[didikunz]

Thank you very much. That helps a lot. Please share you findings for 32 bits also, when you finish testing it.

Because as soon as we know, how it works for 32 bits also, I will try to build a small utility, that can be run to do the registering for both platforms. So that people do not need to fumble around with regsvr32.exe. I will then share that on GitHub for everybody to use.

[molecule]

Hi Didi, thanks for following this and making utility software. I’m too busy today, started testing this morning for Windows 10 and 32-bit ActiveX. I will post tomorrow morning

[molecule]

the tests were done on a Windows 10 used at home (Windows 10 Family 10H2) which has never been tampered with!
normally Windows 10 comes with activeX Flash Player in 32 and 64 bits and updated via Windows Update.
the 2 active x are called Flash.ocx and the registry contains:

and in another place:

This is where Caspar 2.0.7 looks for the version number that is displayed at startup:

the capture does not correspond to the correct version because it’s an old capture.

but it does not use the ocx ‘PlayerPath’ path that appears here.
it uses a path contained in a key ‘D27CDB6B-AE6D-11CF-96B8-444553540000’

ActiveX 32 bits version :

ActiveX 64 bits version :

to sum up, after several tests with Adobe installers and with regsvr.exe :
you cannot update 64-bit ActiveX from Adobe installers: they are only designed for versions prior to Windows 10.
If we put the installer in Windows 7 compatibility mode, there will indeed be an activeX to be created in the ‘SySWoW64’ folder only, named ‘Flash32_32_0_0_465.ocx’ for example, BUT the registry will not have changed.
If we use regsrv to register an ocx in the registry, Windows 10 says it went well but in fact nothing has changed in the registry either

in short if you have an activeX normally installed with Windows 10 > do nothing with Adobe installers or with regsrv.

Then I manually installed the KB4577586 which removes Flash Player from Windows 10

this deleted the Flash.ocx in SySWOW64 and System32 folders
and the info about Flash Player has disappeared from the registry.
and therefore Flash templates no longer work with Caspar

I kept several ActiveX that I renamed by putting the version name:
Flash32bits_32.0.0.255.ocx
…
Flash32bits_32.0.0.255.ocx
Flash64bits_32.0.0.387.ocx
Flash64bits_32.0.0.445.ocx

I have copied one (32bits version) in the folder ‘C:\Windows\SysWOW64\Macromed\Flash’’

I then did:

regsvr32.exe "C:\Windows\SysWOW64\Macromed\Flash\Flash32bits_32.0.0.433.ocx"

we have a message similar to this one:

which causes in the registry:

and so Caspar 2.7.0.1 is again able to display Flash templates.
On the other hand at startup, we can see ‘Flash Not Found’, but not dead; =)

it is because KB4577586 deletes the registry key
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Macromedia\FlashPlayerActiveX]
but it does not matter,Caspar was only going to look for the version number in this key.
Caspar will load the activeX on startup normally

and for the 64bits version I did:
regsvr32.exe "C:\Windows\System32\Macromed\Flash\Flash64bits_32.0.0.445.ocx"

Caspar 2.0.7.1 and Caspar 2.3.1 works well (with the right mms.cfg file) and I tested also after January 12, 2021

[didikunz]

Wow, that is cool. You did quite a good job testing everything. Thank you very much. One small question came into my mind: What about these other files in the Flash folders? On my system there are:

• activex.vch
• FlashUtil_ActiveX.dll
• FlashUtil_ActiveX.exe

beside the Flash.ocx and mms.cfg of course. Are they needed or is it sufficient to place the Flash.ocx (and the mms.cfg) there and do the registering?

[molecule]

this is because Flash is cool and I don’t know of any other tools that allow with a single technology to create with code (real object oriented code) or with a timeline and distribute with a single file (which contains the code, fonts and bitmaps), yes amazing, in one swf file!
the workflow is very good

the FlashUtil_ActiveX.exe launches an uninstaller like this:

the other 2 files, I don’t know what they are for,
this 3 files are not necessary for Caspar, I only have these files there:

[didikunz]

Thanks, that makes it easier. So I will try to write a little app to do the copying and registering of these Flash.ocx files. Yes, I also like the fact, that you can distribute everything in one file. But alas we all need to adapt to the new workflows.

[didikunz]

I quickly wrote a little console app, that does the process of installing the ActiveX. Find it on my GitHub page under “Install Flash Player”.

[sgs]

After EOL my Caspar server output was black, but I replace .exe with fix (2.3.0 version) and using FlashCgfWriter and now working very well. Such a little information

[bobobear]

Fixed it. thanks